Executive Order 11562—Developing and Coordinating a National Program for Physical Fitness and Sports

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. Program for physical fitness and sports. The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (hereinafter referred to as "the Secretary") shall, in carrying out his responsibilities in relation to education and public health, including specifically the health of children and youth, develop and coordinate a national program for physical fitness and sports. The Secretary shall:

(1) Enlist the active support and assistance of individual citizens, civic groups, professional associations, amateur and professional sports groups, private enterprise, voluntary organizations, and others in efforts to promote and improve physical fitness and sports participation programs for all Americans;

(2) Stimulate, improve, and strengthen coordination of Federal services and programs relating to physical fitness and sports participation;

(3) Encourage State and local governments in efforts to enhance physical fitness and sports participation;

(4) Seek to strengthen the physical fitness of American children, youth, and adults by systematically encouraging the development of community centered and other physical fitness and sports participation programs to encourage innovation, improve teacher preparation, and strengthen State and local leadership;

(5) Develop cooperative programs with medical, dental, and other similar professional societies to encourage and implement sound physical fitness practices;

(6) Stimulate and encourage research in the areas of physical fitness and sports performance; and

(7) Improve school health and physical education programs for all pupils, including the handicapped and the physically underdeveloped, by assisting educational agencies in developing quality programs to encourage innovation, improve teacher preparation, and strengthen State and local leadership.

SEC. 2. President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. (a) There is hereby established the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (hereinafter referred to as "the Council"), which shall be composed of the President's Consultant on Physical Fitness, who shall be the Chairman, and fourteen other members appointed by the President. The Council shall meet on the call of the Chairman.

(b) The members of the Council shall receive no compensation from the United States by reason of their service on the Council, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving the Government without compensation (5 U.S.C. 5703).

SEC. 3. Functions of the Council. (a) The Council shall advise the President and the Secretary concerning progress made in carrying out the provisions of this order and shall recommend to the President and the Secretary, as necessary, steps to accelerate progress.

(b) The Council shall advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to ways and means of enhancing opportunities for participation in physical fitness and sports activities and on State, local, and private action to extend and improve physical activity programs and services.

SEC. 4. Conference on Physical Fitness and Sports. (a) There is hereby established a Conference on Physical Fitness and Sports (hereinafter referred to as "the Conference"), which shall be composed of one hundred members whom the President may from time to time appoint. The Conference shall meet on the call of the Secretary to assist him in carrying out his responsibilities under this order.

(b) The members of the Conference shall receive no compensation or expense allowances from the United States Government by reason of their service on the Conference.

SEC. 5. Assistance by Agencies. (a) The Secretary and the Council are authorized to request from any Federal department or agency information or assistance deemed necessary to carry out their functions under this order and each department and agency is authorized, to the extent permitted by law and within the limits of available funds, to furnish such information and assistance to the Secretary and the Council.

(b) The Secretary shall appoint the Executive Director of the Council. Subject to law, (1) the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare shall furnish necessary staff, supplies, facilities, and other administrative services for the Council, (2) expenses of the Council shall be met from funds available to the Secretary, and (3) the Department may provide staff assistance to the Conference.

SEC. 6. Continuity. (a) The Council established by this order shall be deemed to be a continuation of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Physical Fitness and Sports which has heretofore existed under Executive Order No. 11398 of March 4, 1968, as amended.

(b) The seal prescribed by Executive Order No. 10830 of July 24, 1959, as amended, shall be the seal of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports as reconstituted herein.

SEC. 7. Revocations. Executive Order No. 11398 of March 4, 1968, and Executive Order No. 11492 of October 30, 1969, are hereby revoked.

SEC. 8. Construction. Nothing in this order shall be construed to abrogate, modify, or restrict any function vested by law in, or assigned pursuant to law to, any Federal department or agency or any officer thereof.

RICHARD NIXON

The White House

September 25, 1970